The Wreckage Of Your Silent Reverie
by skycloud86
Summary: This story is a bridge between Day One and Day Two, and takes place over the next few months. Again, it follows Alex Myers.As this story is a bridge between Day One and Day Two, I suggest that you read "A Day In The Life Of Alex Myers" first in order to u
1. Visiting Jack

_**Author's Note - This chapter takes place a week after the events of Day One. Again, characters such as Alex Myers and people at CTU Chicago are my own imaginary inventions. Characters such as Jack, Kim, Tony, Nina etc are property of Fox. **_

_**As this story is a bridge between Day One and Day Two, I suggest that you read "A Day In The Life Of Alex Myers" first in order to understand bits of this story.**_

**Jack Bauer's house, 11.45am **

Alex was nervous as he walked up the short path to Jack's house. _Is this such a good idea_, Alex questioned himself. _Of course it is, Alex. Jack knows you're coming to visit him, and its not like you pulled the trigger that killed his wife_. Alex knew, however, that he and the rest of CTU could have done more to protect Teri._ And that will be a mistake that I will regret until my final breath_, he thought. Of course, noone blamed Alex for the actions of his sister. In fact, he was considered by some to be just as much a victim as Tony was. _She used him, lied to him and he has to come to terms with that_.

He knocked on the door a little too lightly at first -_ I'm not exactly overjoyed to be here _- before knocking more audibly. He could heard someone inside shuffling towards the door. _Here we go_.

As Jack opened the door, Alex was shocked to see how different he was. His eyes were red due to all the crying he had done, and were accompanied by dark circles below them. His hair was starting to become unkempt, and he obviously hadn't shaved in a few days. He was wearing a t-shirt and shorts, which told Alex that he had probably just got out of bed. In his eyes a waterfall of emotion - pain, anger, betrayal and loss._ I can't even begin to imagine how this guy must be feeling right now_, Alex thought to himself as Jack gestured for him to go inside.

**Living room, Jack Bauer's house, 11.49am**

Alex sat down on the couch, whilst Jack slumped down into an armchair. There was silence for a while, before Alex decided to break the ice.

"I know you don't want to talk about last week -". Jack interrupted him,"Then let's not talk about last week. I assume you think you need to ask for my forgiveness?", he stated with a surprising lack of emotion. Alex cleared his throat and replied,"To be honest, yes. I mean, it was my 'sister' - _not any more, Alex told himself _- who murdered Teri and I should have done more. I don't know what exactly, but I keep replaying the events of that night through my head. I want to know where I went wrong, where CTU went wrong. What mistake did we make that caused Teri to die?". Tears were starting to form in his eyes as he spoke, although his voice remained steady. He knew that Teri's death would always haunt him. _It was our responsibility to look after Jack's family, and we failed. One of our own agents - my own sister! - killed her because we didn't uncover her sooner!_

Jack looked at him and smiled slightly. _He's a nice kid, but he blames himself too much for the mistakes of others. One thing we have in common, then.._ He simply replied, "I don't think you need my forgiveness, Alex. It won't make things any better".

Alex nodded. _Best not to argue with that, I suppose. He's probably right - one little word won't make me feel better and it certainly won't being Teri back to life. Even so, I would love to be able to forget all about that night._

**CTU Los Angeles, 12.00pm**

Tony was sat at his desk with his head in his hands. _Is any of this even worth the bother?, _he asked himself. He had managed to go to work for the past few days, but the quality and quantity of his work had suffered. He spent a lot of his time wondering about Nina - how I hate that woman! - and Jack. He regretted the way he had acted towards Jack before the events of last Tuesday, and resolved to be more of a friend. Another resolution of his was to keep work and pleasure seperate. _I don't want another repeat of Nina, that's for sure!_

**Kim's bedroom, Jack Bauer's house, 12.05pm**

Kim had not been back to school since Teri died. In fact, she hardly left her room. All day was spent listening to depressing music and crying into her pillow. _Why can't this all just be a bad nightmare!? Why must this be the reality I have to live?_ were the questions that ran through her head. That day, _that cursed day, _had been hell for her and her mother. She had thought that the danger had passed by that night, but then to find out her mother had been murdered - _by a CTU agent! The same agent who went with us to the clinic, who had talked to us at the safe house! - _by someone her father had trusted. As one song finished and another started, she stood up and walked towards the window. It was a typical LA afternoon - hot and sunny - and there were some children playing near their house. She decided not to look at them - _it reminds me of the childhood that is now only memories_ - and looked at the driveway. Next to her father's car was another vehicle. _Someone must be visiting Dad_, she thought.

**Los Angeles Women's Federal Detention Facility, 12.30pm**

Nina was sat at the edge of her bed, looking through the open door of her cell. She was wearing the blue uniform of the facility she was being held in. Her wrists were red due to the long hours of handcuffs being locked around them during interrogations. She had already collected a few bruises from pissed off interrogators, and one or two that resulted from a fight with another prisoner. _This won't be for the rest of your life, Nina_, she thought to herself, a smirk growing on her face.

**Hallway, Jack Bauer's house, 12.35pm**

Kim decided to see who was visiting her father. She peered through the living room door, which was slightly ajar, and looked at her dad and the visitor. _It's Alex, Nina's brother_, she confirmed to herself. She wondered how Alex had took the events of last Tuesday. She didn't blame him for what his sister did - _he actually did a lot to help me and Mom, and he actually meant it_ - but couldn't help feel nothing towards him. She neither hated or loved him, she just knew that he was not like Nina.

**CTU Los Angeles, 12.50pm**

George Mason, the new Special Agent in Charge at CTULA, walked up to Tony. He put some files down on the desk, informing him that they were about the applicants for Nina's job. _I wouldn't like to be in your shoes right now, Tony. I bet you're trying to forget about her, yet I want you to help me find her replacement. _Tony groaned and started to leaf through them. Quite a few were women, and Tony discarded their files. One, however, was not thrown away. Tony's eyes were locked on her picture. She had curly brown hair, the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen and she was, professionally speaking, more than qualified for the job. He considered her for a minute, before speaking her name to himself, whispering it - _Michelle Dessler._


	2. Mourning Teri

_**Author's Note - This chapter takes place on the Sunday after Chapter One, and 12 days after Day One**_

**Alex Myers' apartment, Los Angeles, 10.00am**

Alex was just getting out of the shower. He was going to Teri's funeral in a few hours - _I didn't really want to go, but Jack insisted _- and was anxious. He had no idea how Jack's family - _or Teri's, for that matter _- would react to his presence. _I don't know what would be worse, a scene being made, or them having a problem but not speaking up about it._

**Funeral Home, Los Angeles, 10.30am**

Jack stood next to the casket in silence. He held Teri's cold hand in his and looked at her peaceful face - _At least she isn't in pain anymore_ - and allowed a solitary tear to fall from his eyes. He knew he had to be strong for Kim, but he was terrified that he would fail her as well. A memory of Nina came into his mind, and a brief flash of anger travelled across his eyes. _If I ever meet her again_, he muttered to himself,_ I will kill her there and then, and noone will stop me!_

**Alex Myers' apartment, Los Angeles, 10.50am**

He sat down on his bed and sighed. _This is not going to be easy_, he thought to himself. He knew that today he was going to feel as if they were all looking at him, aware of who he was. _Who my sister is._ He tried to block out the thoughts of Nina and returned to getting ready.

**St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, Los Angeles, 11.00am**

Father Niall O'Callaghan had a busy day today. He was to perform a funeral for the wife of a well-respected man who he knew fairly well. He had known Jack ever since he had performed the Bauers' wedding all those years ago. he had been distraught at the news of Teri's murder, and felt horrified that such a fate could befall such a family. He had a lot of sympathy for Jack, but felt it hard to understand why Teri had been killed. He knew that it had something to do with Jack's job, and that the killer had been caught, but he didn't know the details. _And I don't really want to_, he told himself.

**Los Angeles Women's Federal Detention Facility, 12.00pm**

Nina was lying on her bed, her eyes closed. I wonder what Jack's doing right now?, she wondered. She didn't know of the funeral, but could guess that Jack would be thinking of Teri. _He needs to realise that it wasn't personal, that it would have been anyone who disturbed me_. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. There wasn't much to do inside the facility - _its not exactly an hotel, Nina - _so she spent a lot of her time lying on her bed, trying to keep her mind alert. _Either that, or being interrogated - it would be nice if they just realised that I won't break._

**St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, Los Angeles, 12.35pm**

Tony and George both arrived at the church at the same time. They headed towards the small group of CTU agents, including Alex, who had been invited to the funeral. All of the people within the group were finding it hard to come to terms with Teri's death. All of them had worked with Nina, with Jack, and many of them had been there that night when Nina was discovered. As George looked at their faces, he saw that Alex and Tony were the most affected. _Of course they were, George, they were her brother and her boyfriend! _He tried to think of something to say to either of them, but decided to remain silent.

Alex looked around. The funeral was to start at 1pm, so there were a lot of people arriving. He recognized people from CTU, as well as Jack and Kim. A woman was with them, who looked a lot like Teri. _That must be her sister, Carol_. She had her arm around Kim, supporting her neice. She would occasionally take out a tissue and wipe her eyes. Close to the trio were a short, bald man and a woman with dark hair.

**CTU Chicago, 12.50pm**

Josh Papierski sighed as he hung up his phone, after talking with Ryan Chappelle over at Western Division. He felt bad for Alex, for Jack, for everyone over at CTULA. It had been a huge shock to everyone at CTU Chicago that night. They had known Nina for a long time, and Alex had been popular there. The events in LA had caused a foul mood to lurk within CTU Chicago's walls for the past fortnight. He looked across the office, which was very quiet as was the norm for a Sunday afternoon. _I wonder if we will ever get an explanation?_

**St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, Los Angeles, 1.01pm**

Everyone was now in their seats - relatives on one side, friends and CTU agents on another. The church was a beautiful and cosy building, which had magnificient stained glass windows and a huge statue of Christ on the cross. The pews were all made of oak and were seperated by a wide asile which was covered by a purple carpet. the church itself was fairly old, having been built in the time of Abraham Lincoln. It had been central to the Catholic community of this part of LA since its foundation, and the Bauer family had patronised it since the early 20th century.

Alex was sat at the end of one of the pews, next to Tony. He was not used to churches, being a fairly secular person - he and Nina were baptised Episcopalians, as were their parents, but neither of them were particularly religious and only ever went to church for weddings and funerals. He had been relieved that noone had looked at him or had made comments about Nina - _this is supposed to be a day to remember Teri, not her murderer _- and waws now waiting along with everyone else for the service to begin.

**Los Angeles Women's Federal Detention Facility, 1.20pm**

Nina had fallen asleep, and was in quite a deep slumber when another prisoner crept up to the bed, and launched a punch right at Nina's stomach, which caused her to suddenly double up and scream. She looked up at her attacker and, with a snarling voice, said,"I would be very careful when choosing enemies, Johnston!", at which the other prisoner laughed and walked out of the cell. Johnston, or Leslie Johnston, was a tall woman in her early twenties who was awaiting trial for murder. She had disliked Nina the second she laid eyes on her, and had decided that the "Myers bitch" need to be taught a lesson.

Nina regained her composure and sat up, before a pain shot through her abdomen. She cursed Johnston silently and decided to try and ignore the pain. _I don't want Johnston to have too much of a victory._

**St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, Los Angeles, 1.30pm**

The funeral service had reached the point where people were invited to say a few words. Jack was the first to accept this invitation adn walked slowly up to the front of the church. He cleared his throat and began to speak, reading from a small piece of paper, "Teri was a person that I couldn't have loved more if I tried. She gave my life sunshine, both through her being with me and through my beloved daughter, Kim. I feel as if I have died myself, because Teri was someone I couldn't bear to be apart from. I love her and miss her everyday, and I know that she will always be there in my heart and my memory. I love you, Teri, and I want you to be at peace now. You're in a place where pain and sorrow cannot exist, and that helps me cope with losing you". The words caused many within the congregation to cry, some more audibly than others.

Next it was Kim's turn to speak. She was more apprehensive than Jack, and needed encouragement from her father and Aunt Carol to stand up and speak to the congregation. She wiped her eyes and began, "Mom, I know that you are safe now where you are, and I will always remember the time we shared. I didn't really know how I could put my feelings into words, but no matter what I say here today, my love for you will never die. I will grow up inspired by you and your life, Mom. I promise to look after Dad for you". Alex felt the tears rolling down his cheeks. He thought that the words of both Jack and Kim were beautiful and were fitting for Teri.

**CTU Chicago, 2.00pm**

Sarah Henderson was about to go home when Josh came up to her. He hadn't really spoken to her about the events in Los Angeles -_ I didn't think I should, under the circumstances _- but had decided to give it a try. "Sarah, could I talk to you for a minute?", he requested. She nodded, "What about?". Josh hesitated for a minute bfeore replying,"The events of Super Tuesday over at CTULA". As soon as he said it, Sarah turned away and started to walk towards the exit quickly. Josh ran up to her and touched her shoulder gently. As she turned around, her eyes were filling up with tears. As he comforted her with an hug, she broke down completely.

**St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, Los Angeles, 2.05pm**

"Alex, I would like it if you were to say a few words for Teri". As soon as Jack said this, Alex became quite anxious, but tried not to let it show. _He wants me to say a few words?! I don't have an idea of what I could say, and what if doing so offends his family, or hers? _Alex stared at the ground for a short while, before replying, "Ok".

As Jack returned to his seat, Alex walked slowly down the aisle. He could feel the eyes of Jack and Teri's families as he walked past them. _I wonder what they are thinking? I wonder what they think of me?_ He reached the front of the church and for a few seconds looked around the congregation. He was relieved that noone seemed to be angry at him, or even aware of who he was, or his relationship to Nina. He took a deep breath and began to speak,"I work at CTU with Jack, and I only knew Teri from the few hours that she was at CTU on the day she died. From what I noticed, Teri was a kind, caring and warm human being. A mother, a wife, a beautiful self that made her an instant friend. Sometimes, we lose people like Teri far too early, and this causes us a lot of grief and suffering. However, although she is gone physically, she will always be that candle that lights the way in our darkest hours". Alex was impressed with how easily the words had come out, and was happy to see that the words were well recieved by the audience. _Well, that must count as a victory_, Alex thought as he returned to his seat.

**CTU Chicago, 2.10pm**

Sarah and Josh were now in his office. Sarah had calmed down, much to the relief of both of them. They had a lot to say about what happened in LA, and both allowed each other to speak freely. A single tear ran down Sarah's olive cheek, and Josh wiped it away gently. They smiled and sat there, gazing at each other.

**St Patrick's Church Graveyard, Los Angeles, 2.40pm**

As the coffin was lowered slowly and respectfully into the ground, Alex looked at the stone gravestone that would tell vistors who was lying there. It was a black stone, with gold letters engraved into the stone which simply read "Theresa Bauer 1965-2000. We will always love you, and will always miss you". There was a space below that for the time when Jack would be reunited with Teri. _For his sake, for Kim's sake, I hope that time is many decades off yet_, Alex thought.

**CTU Chicago, 2.55pm**

Sarah and Josh were now in the breakroom, enjoying coffee whilst getting to know each other more. Sarah learnt that Josh was half-Italian, loved to watch sunsets and his favourite colour was green. Josh learnt that Sarah was one of four girls, loved listening to classical music and enjoyed poetry. They both learnt that they were attracted to each other.

**St Patrick's Church churchyard, Los Angeles, 3.05pm**

Alex had been talking to Tony when the woman who looked a lot like Teri came over and asked to speak to him in private. As they moved away from the group Alex had been in, the woman introduced herself, "I'm Carol, Teri's sister. I just wanted you to know that your words were beautiful". Alex smiled and replied, "Thank you. I was a bit worried about standing up in front of you and your family and speaking about Teri". Carol nodded,"I know it was your sister who murdered Teri, and I want you to know that noone, in my family or Jack's, blames you in any way for what she did". Alex was more than happy to hear this and thanked Carol.

**Michelle Dessler's house, Washington DC, 4.00pm**

Michelle was busy packing her stuff. She had been offered a job at CTU Los Angeles and, LA being her hometwon, she had decided to go back there. She had not been told too much about the woman she was replacing, but had heard about the death of a civilian, an agent's wife, at CTULA. She had an appointment with a George Mason on Tuesday morning at 9.30am, and was excited about the prospect of working there. Los Angeles would be perfect for her - it wasn't as busy as DC, but it wasn't some backwater either.

**Josh Papierski's house, Chicago, 4.30pm**

He unlocked the front door to his house and together he and Sarah went inside. He had invited her back to his home for a drink. _Finally, she knows about my feelings, and to find out that those feelings are mutual, this is a great day!_


	3. Forgetting Nina

_**Author's Note - This chapter takes place a month and 2 days after Chapter Two, and a month and a half after Day One**_

**Los Angeles Women's Federal Detention Facility, 9.00am**

Nina had been taken to an interrogation room just a little after 8, and for the past hour had been sat down at a table, shackled by her ankles and wrists. She knew she was going to be visited by someone from CTU, and had an bizarre hope that it would be Jack. _I want to see how he's been doing these past few weeks_, she thought.

**CTU Los Angeles, 9.10am**

"Tony, we need to get these files to Division!", Michelle Dessler almost snapped at him. Tony grinned at the tone of her voice - _I like it when she's like this _- and got to work sending them to Division. Michelle sighed in exasperation and went back to her workstation.

**Los Angeles Women's Federal Detention Facility, 9.25am**

Nina noticed someone at the door, but could only see a silhouette. As the person appeared to have dark hair, she decided that it wasn't Jack._ I wonder who they did end up sending?_, she asked herself. Her question was soon answered as Alex walked into the room. Her eyes widened as she saw her brother. _I certainly didn't expect him!_

Alex sat down on the opposite side of the table to Nina and for a few minutes they said nothing, staring at each other as if daring the other to speak. It was Nina who broke the silence. "So they sent you, Alex?". Alex ignored this and started to explain why he was there. _I requested a visit because even if I don't consider you my sister anymore, the fact is that you are biologically my relative and I want answers, Nina._

"You want to know why, Alex? Why your sister isn't the girl you grew up with in Chicago? I'm afraid I can't give you any answer, at least nothing that would satisfy you.. or Jack". Alex gritted his teeth as she mentioned Jack. He knew she would be like this - she had been this way with every single one of her interrogators since her arrest, no matter what they asked or who they were. _Maybe if we let Jack have a few minutes alone with her, we might get some closure? _Alex dismissed this idea. Jack was in no state to return to work, never mind being in the same room as Nina, the traitor and murderer of his wife.

**CTU Chicago, 9.40am**

Josh Papierski was humming happily to himself as he finished off yet another report. He and Sarah had just moved in together and she had gotten to know his three kids well. _I'm glad that they've accepted her. It makes things so much easier._

**CTU Los Angeles, 9.45am**

As Tony filled his beloved Cubby with more coffee, he wondered how Alex was getting on with Nina_. I don't envy the guy, thats for sure!_

Michelle had settled in quickly to life at CTULA. She had been told about Jack and Nina, and was anxious not to be seen as anything other than loyal and trustworthy. _Of course, that is exactly what Nina was like on the surface. _Most people working at CTU liked her and she had no problems fitting in. She had paid Jack a visit a few times, and was full of sympathy for him and his daughter, Kim. _I don't know what I would do if someone I trusted betrayed me like Nina did. I don't know what I would do if someone I worked with murdered my partner. _She quite liked some of the other CTU agents, especially Tony, and Alex. She knew that Alex was Nina's brother, and had been careful around him, with help from Tony - _I don't want to upset him, or make him think I blame him in any way_. She and Alex had quickly become friends, and she wondered how Alex and Nina could possibly be siblings. She hoped that Alex would be back at work soon.

**Los Angeles Women's Federal Detention Facility, 10.00am**

Alex had all but given up trying to get through to Nina. He hadn't been under any delusion that he could actually break Nina, but he had hoped that the old Nina - _my sister, Nina _- would come to the surface and be given a chance to give him anything that could answer the questions that he and CTU had before the strange Nina pushed her back down again. He looked her in the eyes once more and decided that she wasn't worth the effort. He bid her goodbye and walked out of the door. He didn't stop walking until he reached the men's toilets and went into a cubicle. He broke down in tears and began to cry.


	4. Coping Alex

_**Author's Note - This chapter takes place a month after Chapter Three, and two and a half months after Day One. The poem written by Henry is actually one I wrote a few years ago.**_

**CTU Los Angeles, 8.30am**

Alex took a deep breath as he walked into CTU. He didn't know what to expect on his first day back._ I just hope that there will be no deaths, no betrayals, no kidnappings, no plots to kill politicians. _The first person he saw was Michelle Dessler, Nina's replacement. Michelle had visited him a few times over the past couple of months, mainly to get to know him a little, and also to try and get him back to work. _Well, Michelle, you should be very happy right now._

Michelle's face lit up as Alex walked in. _Finally, he's back!, _she said to herself and walked over to him, a big smile on her face. "Welcome back, Alex! I'm glad to see you". Alex smiled, replying,"Thanks. I'm ready to get back to working here. I'm sorry it took me so long, but I just wasn't feeling ready to come back here after what happened". Michelle just grinned,"Hey, at least you're back now. Luckily, it's been quiet lately, and today is no exception".

**Los Angeles Women's Federal Detention Facility, 9.00am**

Nina was thinking. Hard. She was trying to remember her contacts, because she had a feeling that one day she would need to get in touch with them. _And that day will come soon, and I will be free of this damn place!_

**Jack Bauer's house, Los Angeles, 9.25am**

He had had that dream again, for the third night in a row. In it, he witnessed the murder of his wife, looking at it via camera footage. At the end Nina would look up, stare directly into the camera and he would see those soulless eyes once more. As Nina pointed the gun, he would scream out to her, threaten to harm her, but she took no notice. As the bullets smashed through Teri's lean body, Jack would hear crying. After Nina had stared into the camera, the camera would switch off, then turn back on again, showing him his daughter, standing there at CTU, crying. He wanted to console her, hug her, but he couldn't.

As he splashed water on his face, Jack looked at the mirror. He saw a tired, aging man with pain in his eyes. _Is that who I am now?_

**St Joseph's Church graveyard, Chicago, 10.00am**

Sarah placed the flowers onto the grave slowly. She had visited Henry's grave often over the past couple of months, and felt that it helped her remember him for who he was, not for what happened to him. Dennis Boothe, the son of a terrorist who Henry had helped put in jail, had managed to sneak a gun into CTU Chicago and took the first chance he had to shoot Henry dead. He was in prison now, facing trial for murder, showing no remorse for his actions. She whispered a poem, one that Henry had written once,

"Drifting by me you go

As the hours turn into weeks

I stand still there

Pining for you

Hoping to feel some loved emotion

I don't know where you need to go

And I don't know why

But always drift by me

And I'll always hope for you."

She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and walked away from the grave.

**CTU Los Angeles, 11.00am**

_Well, this isn't too bad. I've been here for a few hours and my hopes for a normal day haven't been dashed just yet, _Alex observed as he took a sip of his coffee. He had been set rather mundane tasks, which on a normal day would have been boring, but Alex found them to be a huge relief.

Michelle looked towards Alex every so often, concerned that he might just not be ready enough, but she had been proven wrong each and every time. She looked over at Tony, and realised that the pain he had carried in his eyes ever since she had met him was starting to vanish. She had formed a close bond with him over the past few weeks, and was enjoying every minute of working with him. _If I'm being honest, I might even have a crush on him!_

_**Author's Note - Thanks for reading this :). Please review with some constructive criticism! Like I explained at the start of the story, this is a bridge between Days One and Two. Day Two's story is entitled "Alex Myers, Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Fight The Nuke".**_


End file.
